The posts, which often come from uniformed troops stationed on different U.S. bases, present a direct challenge to top military officials amid a recruitment crisis that saw the Army fall short of its target by 25 percent in 2022.
One such disgruntled soldier is influencer Anthony Laster, who has over a million followers on TikTok. He criticized Army life in a video, zeroing in on the lack of privacy and sleep, dismal pay, subpar food and disrespectful leadership. The influencer who hails from Chicago also claimed to spend an entire day watching TikToks while supposedly being on a mission in the desert.
Despite the criticisms, Laster acknowledged some positives of military service in a separate video. Some of the perks he mentioned included "100 percent college tuition, travel to some cool places, fighting for your country, getting fit, making good friends and blowing s*** up."
Other disillusioned rank-and-file officers are also using TikTok to advise potential recruits to reconsider enlistment. Many of the clips involve complaints about weight restrictions, harsh treatment from superiors and menial tasks taking precedence over combat engagement. Recruits argue that the pay is insufficient, autonomy is lacking and family life is sacrificed.
"Even if you deploy, you probably won't see combat today in this world, so if that's your mindset, don't join," said a 25-year-old sergeant surnamed Barber.
Female recruits have also joined the chorus of discontent on TikTok. One soldier, identified only as Gammage, warns about the mental toll of military life, including weight scrutiny, rigorous fitness standards and the pressure to avoid injuries.
"Don't join the Army until you're mentally prepared to be told you're going over or underweight, treated like you're not a good soldier if you can't run two miles in 18 minutes or less and you can't get injured either because then it's your fault," she said.
Wokeism to blame for missed recruitment goals
These trending TikTok videos from Gen Zs come at a time when the Army struggles to meet its recruitment goals for 2023. The Navy and Air Force are also projected to fall short of their personnel targets. The traditional appeal of military service seems to be waning among Gen Z, with only nine percent of individuals aged 16 to 21 expressing interest in military careers, a 13 percent decline from pre-pandemic levels.
In an interview with the Epoch Times in August 2022, an anonymous active-duty soldier with over 15 years of service criticized the military's shift toward wokeism as the primary reason for the dwindling recruitment. (Related: Active-duty serviceman blames "woke" policies for Army’s worst recruiting year in nearly five decades.)
"In the past, the Army targeted a specific demographic of people based on their values. [These recruits] were patriots and loved America," the soldier remarked. "[Nowadays], much of the country doesn't live America like it used to. With a military no longer upholding the values, the oaths or the creeds it once did, what kind of new recruits should we expect?"
The soldier pointed out that the Department of Defense has embraced political positions contrary to the core values of America, including advocacy for mandatory vaccination, support for transgender rights, and opposition to the Supreme Court's decision overturning the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.
This sentiment is not isolated. A Navy lieutenant echoed similar concerns, lamenting that the service branch "has probably alienated the majority of its recruiting base that [it] could have always counted on historically."
The lieutenant criticized senior military leaders for buying into what he called a "big lie," asserting that the population at large does not necessarily seek a military that reflects the diversity of the country but rather values one that is capable, lethal, and can defend the nation effectively on short notice.
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Watch Richard Leonard and Jason Ous discuss why the military's recruitment numbers are at an all-time low.
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Former Space Force officer: WOKE AGENDA weakening, dividing US military.
Woke U.S. military failing to recruit because nobody wants to defend American degeneracy.
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